Eternity
by Crowfeather's Dream
Summary: What happens to the elders who were left behind at the RiverClan camp?


**I do not own Warriors, although I wish I did. This is just a oneshot with the elders who were left behind. SPOILER WARNING**

A beautiful white she-cat watched the last of her Clan trek away out of the RiverClan camp. She felt fur brush against her side, and glanced over to see a dark grey she-cat standing beside her.

"Do not worry for the Clans," the she-cat murmured in her ear. "StarClan will be with them wherever their paths may lead."

"But, Shadepelt," the white elder fretted, "Will StarClan wait for us before they follow our brethren?"

Shadepelt narrowed her eyes. "StarClan is with us all. Always and forevermore."

The she-cat nodded, her blue eyes glistening with sadness. She turned and walked slowly over to three other cats that lay nearby. Two were alive. One was dead. The pale tabby lying closest to the dead tom lifted her head, her eyes filled with sorrow.

"Mudfur indeed has truly gone to StarClan," she meowed quietly. "I have tried and tried again, licking his face, his ears. But he won't get up." Her voice trailed off until it was nothing more than a whisper. She bowed her head. The white she-cat walked to her side stiffly.

"He was a great cat. StarClan will honor him as we do. He was a medicine cat for his Clan, and will walk with the best of them, Speckletail." Her old voice cracked as she sat down next to a dark brown tom. The she-cat named Speckletail murmured her thanks and placed her head on her paws.

The brown tom raised his head, surveying them all. "What now?" he asked quietly. No one answered. The same question was on all of their minds. They could not hunt; they were too old. The tom repeated his question. "What now?"

The white she-cat lifted her head. "What now? I'll tell you what, Loudbelly," she snapped irritably. "We wait for the inevitable. We wait until StarClan calls us."

A hushed silence hung over the elders for a few heartbeats. Shadepelt glanced up. "What Frostfur says is true. This was our decision. We left the Clans so that they would not worry about us. We are not built for such a long, dangerous journey. Maybe at one time we were, but it has been many moons since I was fit enough to run faster than a WindClan cat, to swim like the RiverClanner I am. We have done the right thing."

"Then why does it hurt so badly?" Frostfur mewed, her voice lanced with pain. "Cinderpelt. Brackenfur. Oh how I will miss them so."

"I will miss Shrewpaw. Hollykit…Larchkit…Graystripe." Speckletail's mew was faint and soft. "The last days of their lives were spent in an emaciated Clan…Their last moments were moments of terror and pain, instead of peace and calmness." Her dull claws dug into the ground in frustration.

"We do not know if Graystripe is dead," Loudbelly muttered. There were mews of agreement, and hope began to shine in their eyes, which had been ever so dull for the last few moons.

"I hope he gives the twolegs who took them a few scratches from us elders," Frostfur purred. The others purred with her. What the she-cat had said had not been all that funny, but the fact that there was still something like a purr that could voice happiness and joy was hope for them all.

**XxXxXxXx**

Frostfur opened her pale blue eyes to see Loudbelly and Speckletail leaning over Shadepelt. With a wail of distress, the she-cat staggered over to join them.

The two elders had laid Shadepelt's body out next to Mudfur's. A place of honour, they called it. The two cats, elder and medicine cat, were now together in StarClan. And soon, the others would join them.

**XxXxXxXx**

A few dawns passed. One morning, Frostfur woke up to see that Loudbelly had laid out Speckletail beside Mudfur and Shadepelt. The deep distress that had begun to grow within her grew deeper and darker.

**XxXxXxXx**

A few more days passed without great incident. The lack of food on the elders had taken effect long ago, and the pair were too weak to go to the river. Too weak to lick the morning dew off the grass. They even felt that if StarClan called, they would be too weak to answer.

"Frostfur?" Loudbelly whispered. His voice was so weak; the she-cat barely heard it.

"Yes?" she answered, her voice every bit as weak as his.

"Do you…do you think Graypool will be up there?" His voice was quieter then ever. Dangerously quiet. His time was nearing.

"Of course. And Oakheart, Crookedstar, Stonefur, Feathertail…" she stopped talking. It was becoming too painful to talk. That and because Loudbelly had stopped breathing.

Holding back a sob of distress, the elder summoned up all her reserve strength. She dragged the body of Loudbelly next to Speckletail's. She then collapsed next to him, knowing that no one would be there to move her when her time came.

But she forced her voice to continue the list of names.

"Shrewpaw, Larchkit, Hollykit, Swiftpaw, Yellowfang, Snowkit, Spottedleaf, Lionheart, Bluestar…"

**XxXxXxXx**

_"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Frostpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Frostfur. StarClan honors your courage and bravery and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."_

_"Frostfur! Frostfur!"_

_"Frostfur, is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and go to join the elders?"_

_"It is."_

_"Your Clan honours you and all the service you have given us. May they grant you many seasons of rest."_

_Many seasons of rest…_

**XxXxXxXx**

_Frostfur could not open her eyes. Her life was balanced on the edge of a cliff. For a heartbeat, she considered clawing her way back to life, but what would she find there? Three cats, all of whom were dead, and a destroyed forest. _

_Taking a deep breath, the white she-cat leaned forward and let herself fall into the darkness. But this wasn't cold, forbidding darkness. All around her, she could hear purrs of welcome, feel nuzzles of happiness. She gathered her strength and slowly blinked her eyes open._

_The RiverClan camp was gone. She was in Fourtrees, and all the cats she had ever known in her life, and those she hadn't, were crowded around her, meowing words of welcome. She glanced around, and saw three cats sitting apart from the others. When she padded over to them, they all dipped their heads in greeting._

_"We endured our last days together," Speckletail meowed._

_"We did the right thing," Shadepelt said softly._

_"You were right, Frostfur," Loudbelly purred, flicking his tail. A grey she-cat wandered over. "Shadepelt is here. And you are too."_

_For the first time, the ThunderClan elder noticed that they all looked…younger. Stronger. She looked down at herself and saw that she had changed, too._

_A familiar blue-grey shape walked over. Frostfur bowed her head, choking out one word. "Bluestar!"_

_The she-cat nodded. "We waited for you. All of you. And now it is time to leave. We must follow the Clans, wherever they go."_

_Yowls of agreement rose from the assembled cats. Bluestar led the way as the cats began to leave. Frostfur fell in step beside the other three elders._

_"Well, we're here," she purred. The others nodded._

_"Yes, we are. May our loyalty to StarClan bind us all together for eternity."_

_As the last of the cats left the Fourtrees, the sun began to rise. A single star glowed in the pale grey sky, bravely competing with the light of the coming dawn. _


End file.
